AUTHOR: Eric DATE: 5/07/2007 07:35:00 AM ----- BODY:
It seems that the average drug treatment program is getting shorter and shorter. This is largely dictated by what insurance companies will pay, but a simple comparison of success rates and program lengths shows that the most successful drug rehab programs fall into the 90-180 day range. I have worked with thousands of individuals and families over the years and I am always hearing about previous failed drug rehab attempts. In almost all of these cases, the programs lasted around 30 days. That isn’t even enough time to allow the body to repair itself and get the person feeling better, let alone address the reasons the person started taking drugs. Addiction doesn’t happen overnight. For drug rehab to be effective, the program must allow enough time to fix the body and handle the issues that got the person there in the first place. It seems simple enough, yet many people look for the quick fix. Sometimes they don’t want to be away from home for that long, or they’re afraid they’ll lose their job - there’s wide variety of reasons. However, regardless of the treatment model used, success rates are almost always higher with longer term treatments. Some of the best advice I could ever give to those looking for help is to ensure that the drug rehab they select is 90 days or longer. Why risk having to do it again? Do it right the first time.

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-------- AUTHOR: Eric DATE: 5/03/2007 07:28:00 AM ----- BODY:
1,200 Massachusetts drug offenders are currently enrolled in the special "drug court" sessions where defendants are given one last chance: Commit to drug addiction treatment -- and to intense supervision -- and you'll stay out of jail. Started in the 1990s, it is a program with a demonstrated record of success -- addicts who participate re-offend less often, and stay sober longer. The program grew out of a realization that simple incarceration of offenders with drug addiction issues had been a proven failure. As the number of drug addicts responsible for criminal acts grew -- by 1997 about 70 percent of those arrested for crimes nationwide were acknowledged drug users -- government and court officials arrived at a consensus that more drug addiction treatment was a better answer. With federal support, some 1,700 drug courts have been established across the country. Source: www.boston.com

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